: Nelly - Viewing Profile

The stuff looks great, and not to sound negative, but there was a quarter inch of space between some of those, where you could have put some more items......hehe.

Dear All,

I have just closed the lid of my kiln to start glaze firing a batch of red ware I have been working on for about 2 months (i.e., on and off). I have glazed it with the Arbuckle Majolica Glaze and commercial colors.

As I closed the lid, I thought to myself, what have I just invested of myself in this load?? Please know this is the first time I have done this glaze technique independently.

1. Reworked some hardened majolica clay to get it ready for throwing.
2. Made the vessels on and off for the last few months (i.e., paying really close attention to drying times for optimum trimming, crack prevention etc.).
3. Purchased and sieved a large batch of glaze.
4. Purchased the commercial colors.
5. Dipped the work to prevent drips and waited overnight for the glaze to dry before painting.
6. Wiped off the bottoms etc., etc., etc.

Every single step takes time and knowledge of how to proceed.

I cannot even begin to calculate the number of hours my body and mind have put into this project. To learn a new technique takes time.

I remember learning to pit fire. This too, took time and great energy to get everything together to attempt this firing safely.

So what am I rambling about???

Maybe it is a delayed post to really say, pottery does take time and it is WORK. While my kiln lid is closed and I could have done everything correct today over the past few months, ultimately the load will be what it is. It is clay. All I can do is wait.

I don't mean to sound whiny but when I closed the lid it just made me think how much time this took to put together...the steps, the learning, the anticipation, the planning etc.

Ironically, despite all the planning, the one area that surprised me was during my process, I never gave much thought to decoration. THIS is what majolica is all about. All I could think about was vivid color. Thus, over the weekend, I struggled to decorate when it should have been a main focus of my planning. Unlike cone 6 where you never know what will happen with the glaze, majolica, I think if done right should be fairly exact.

Anyway, I am rambling.

Have you ever gone through a type of consideration of your effort or investment (in all senses of the word) in learning a new technique??

Nelly

oldlady, on 18 May 2013 - 11:39 AM, said:

The Clay King Slabmaster is made by Friendly Corporation, same as Shimpo rollers and Axners rolling Thunder. The studio I belong to has the Shimpo version which looks a lot like the Slabmaster and I have used it and like it. I'll take into consideration a longer working surface. He suggested the cover so I wouldn't have to worry about hitting the rollers and maybe that I could use the cover as a shelf to hold whatever tools I needed while using the table. The shelves are a must and kind of planned to measure whatever space I had on the table Slabroller I get and install what ever configuration would work. I LIKE your idea of clay on a rolling platform makes much more sense than hefty those blocks around.

My main work surface is a worktable I got a SAMs it's tall enough I can stand to work or use the tall rolling stool I have. I think its 5 feet long and super heavy duty with steel legs and a butcher block top and can take a beating so seems to be working out. Unfortunately the top is sealed under varnish so clay seems to like to stick to it and I have thought about getting out the sander and attacking it but for now a piece of canvas seems to be working. I want to get a piece of that board from a Home Depot next time I head that way but haven't made the hour plus trip out that way recently. I even added a shelf under it, with the bonus of its at a good height for me to put a foot if I want. I keep all my plywood and drywall ware boards standing on the shelf and for now clay, my rolling pin and slats on the other side. If I make the rolling platform like you have for my clay I might add a couple more shelves on one side and keep additional supplies there. I even made a small shelf for the end out of 1x4s with each shelf being tall enough to hold pints of underglaze and glaze it ain't pretty but the shelves are level and I used zip ties to attach it to the table legs so it doesn't fall over. Kind of maximizing my one work surface. I would REALLY like to find another table to have dedicated for glazing but not sure where I would put it, might have to get rid of my easel lol. You have no idea how shocking that idea is to me as a painter; my friends would be convinced i was an alien if they even heard that I would consider sticking my easel in the closet.

I also need to figure out someplace to put some shelves to dry ware on, currently I am using a repurposed drying cabinet from my darkroom days to store pieces under construction as well as slowly dry finished pieces. I bought some of that plastic grid made for light covers and use that as the shelf so the pieces don't fall through the widely spaced wire shelves that came with the cabinet. But I can see quickly outgrowing the cabinet as I get stuff made. Just have to decide if I should get one of those rolling wire shelf units from SAMs so I could move it around as needed or just cut up some of the scrap plywood in the garage and screw them to the walls. Will have to think that through some more.

So yes I know and understand multi purpose work spaces and the suggestions you made will be remembered and taken into account as I try and get set up so I can work without moving stuff around every time I want to work on a different piece.